Field hockey has never been better on the Peninsula. The quality and quantity of emerging players is being felt on the high school, college and national levels.

Former Grafton defender Julia Young, an All-American at North Carolina, has been a fixture on the USA national team for years. York graduate Kealsie Robles, a goalkeeper at Old Dominion, got her first national cap this summer.

The list of area players in Division I has grown significantly in the past decade, and at least nine current high school players have already committed to play at that level. Area high school teams, thanks in part to the efforts of clubs like Focus Field Hockey, are thriving.

Gloucester went 22-0 and won the Class 5 state title, and Peninsula District rival Menchville made the state quarterfinals in that tournament for the first time. Poquoson lost the Class 3 state tournament championship game in overtime, while fellow Bay Rivers District schools York, Tabb and Warhill all were state tournament participants.

Menchville’s Morgan Merritt, a James Madison recruit, was selected the Class 5 state Player of the Year in what was a very close vote with William and Mary commitment Ali Goodwin of Gloucester. York’s Sarah Farrell, who will play for Appalachian State, was voted the Class 3 state Player of the Year.

All of which makes picking a top individual for the 2018 season among those three a difficult task indeed. Merritt, a Menchville senior, is this year’s Daily Press Field Hockey Player of the Year because of the breadth of her accomplishments this season and her versatility in the midfield.

She finished her four-year varsity career with 95 goals and 54 assists, the former number an impressive one because much of her work as center-midfielder was to set up her teammates. She tallied 36 goals and 22 assists this season, breaking career school marks in both categories and for total points.

“She knows how to handle the ball well, and even before she gets it, she knows what she’s going to do with it,” Farrell said of Merritt, her Focus Field Hockey teammate. “She’s really quick with what she does and is not selfish at all.”

That showed in Merritt’s willingness to help out on defense, something that impressed Nicole Kuykendall, her coach at Menchville. Merritt’s all-around ability drew praise from coaches throughout the area and earned her MaxPreps State Player of the Week honors three times this season.

The Menchville school records Merritt broke had been held by a succession of players who went on to collegiate careers: Kuykendall (Christopher Newport University), Jordan Snider (CNU) and Sarah Coon. Coon was one of Merritt’s role models.

“I played with Sarah Coon and she definitely helped me turn myself into a better player,” Merritt said. “I looked up to her as a younger player, and her competitiveness and work ethic helped drive me.”

Goodwin and Farrell were also inspired by those who played before them. Goodwin’s sister Cassidy Goodwin was the star of the Gloucester team that won the 2015 state title.

Farrell’s late mom, Mary Childers, played at York in the 1980s. Childers died when Farrell was an infant, but requested that her daughter play field hockey.

“I was more into soccer when I was younger, but I fell in love with field hockey when I started playing it,” Farrell said. “I think about my mom a lot when I play field hockey, so it means a lot.”

Merritt is impressed by both players.

“Sarah is a really feisty player, and at practice (for Focus) she’s definitely hard to defend,” Merritt said of Farrell. “Her stick skills are incredible, and she’s so fast.

“I’ve known Alli (Goodwin) for quite some time. She has really good field vision, her knowledge of the game is incredible, and her stick skills are fantastic.”

All of that is true of Merritt as well. As such, she makes a worthy Daily Press Player of the Year in a vintage season for area field hockey.

“She is the most skilled player I’ve ever seen come out of this area,” Kuykendall said. “She always wants to make everyone around her better, and that makes her a great captain on and off of the field.”

Field hockey All-Stars

Kessa Romero | Gloucester | senior. A repeat Class 5 all-state selection headed to the University of Lynchburg, Romero parlayed her stickwork in the circle into 33 goals and 25 assists.

HP Johnson | Gloucester | junior. Johnson, a Class 5 all-state first-team pick who has committed to Longwood, scored the winning goal in overtime to give the Dukes a 2-1 win over Deep Run in the state championship game.

Lauren Satchell | Menchville | junior. Satchell scored 25 goals and made the Class 5 all-state first team in helping Menchville reach the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history.

Sarah Farrell | York | senior. The speedy Class 3 all-state first-team pick, who will play for Appalachian State, scored 30 goals to lead the Falcons within an overtime loss of the state final.

Allison Goodwin | Gloucester | junior. In her third season on the Class 5 all-state team, Goodwin, who will play at William and Mary, scored 27 goals, assisted on 40 and generally dominated in the midfield.

Martha Chiappazzi | Poquoson | senior. The leader of a Poquoson team that came within a hair of a winning the Class 3 state title, first-team all-state pick and Shenandoah University recruit Chiappazzi finished her career with 67 goals.

Gracie Roberts | Tabb | junior. Perhaps the area’s fastest player with a field hockey stick in her hands, Roberts, a Class 3 all-state first-team selection, scored four game-winning goals.

Alexis Rainey | York | senior. One of two Falcons headed to Kent State, Rainey had seven goals and 10 assists in making the Class 3 all-state first team.

Skyler Brown | Poquoson | freshman. A midfield creator for the Islanders’ state runner-up team, Brown scored 18 goals, had seven assists and made the Class 3 all-state first team.

Morgan Merritt | Menchville | senior. The Class 5 state Player of the Year, a JMU recruit, scored 36 goals and had 22 assists this season.

Chloe Thompson | Warhill | junior. A key to the Lions’ repeat run to the Class 4 state quarterfinals with her play in the midfield, Thompson was selected to the Class 4 all-state team.

Madi Hodges | Gloucester | senior. The standout of a defense that allowed just five goals in 17 games, while posting 17 shutouts, CNU-bound Hodges also repeated on the Class 5 all-state team.

Kelli Mullen | Warhill | senior. Her goalie’s best friend, Mullen had 10 defensive saves for the Class 4 state quarterfinalists, earning her Region 4A Player of the Year honors and a spot on the all-state first team.

Cassie Watts | York | senior. The Kent State-bound defender had five goals and nine assists on her way to Class 3 first-team all-state recognition.

Erin Rollins | Poquoson | senior. One of four Class 3 all-state first-team picks for the Islanders, Rollins was one of the team captains and a standout on a defense that had 12 shutouts.

Bella Kleker | Tabb | junior. The Tigers’ goalkeeper had nine shutouts in 14 games and made the Class 3 all-state team for a second consecutive season.

Fiona Minter | Grafton | senior. Minter, a goalie who will play for American University, was 3 for 3 in winning penalty shootouts and allowed only one goal all season by a team that didn’t make a state tournament.